Street signs across the city will be replaced over the next four years with bigger signs that include addresses, the Shanghai Urban Planning Administrative Bureau said yesterday.

A new street sign (right) is set up at an intersection along Luban Road. The new signs have bigger characters so they are easier to read. The old one (left) will be dismantled. 

"Many people, particularly senior residents, will benefit from the new signs," bureau official Liu Bo told Shanghai Daily yesterday.

On Friday, the municipal government upgraded signs on Liyuan Road, Luban Road and Xujiahui Road in Luwan District.

The new signs are twice the size of old ones, and include the range of addresses on each block.

Chinese characters and pinyin lettering on the signs are also bigger, so they are easier to read.

The bureau said it hopes to replace the more than 30,000 street signs in the city in time for the World Expo in 2010.

"I like having the address numbers on street signs because it will save time in finding a place for passengers," said Huang Guofu, a cab driver with Shanghai Qiangsheng Taxi Service Company.

He said some streets, such as Gonghexin Road, are very long and it's difficult to clearly see the address numbers on some buildings even when driving slowly.

"I always drive redundant miles every day to help passengers find a location," he said.

Liu said the signs will also help elderly pedestrians.

"It takes time to wait for the green light to cross a street. But sometimes, people will eventually find they are on the wrong side after crossing the street," he said.

(Shanghai Daily November 14, 2006)